The State of Natural England 2020-21

The state of Natural England 2020-21

A view from Prospect trade union

prospect.org.uk [email protected] Latest revision of this document: https://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2020/01173 This revision: https://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2020/01173/2020-11-04 2 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

Stand up Foreword for your environment, At a time of global pandemic and nature makes them happy and this was stand up the enforced second wave lockdowns consistent across different population across the country, it may feel groups. Those who had visited a natural for Natural inappropriate to be updating the State space in the last seven days reported of Natural England report. But our being happier than those who hadn’t.”1 England members also have family members All of this is set in a political and friends subject to furlough and landscape of global engagement in redundancy and are conscious of the biodiversity and climate change issues, wider social issues facing people in the with several events that have recently UK. The fundamental issues impacting taken place, or are planned for the near Natural England persist. Unless these future: are tackled, they will remain long after • UN’s Leaders Pledge for Nature- the virus is banished and the life of our Sept 2020, New York nation restored. • The UN Decade of Ocean Science Much of the work we do in Natural for Sustainable Development England has continued, albeit in 2021–2030 modified form, throughout the pandemic in conserving species, • The UK will host the 26th UN licensing works and supporting, where Climate Change Conference of the we can, our wildlife organisations and Parties (COP26) at the Scottish others impacted by their declining Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on income. Tracking the local use of 1 – 12 November 2021 greenspaces in our cities and towns and • The United Nations Summit on countryside during lockdown shows Biodiversity was convened by the how much people value their local President of the General Assembly natural environment: on 30 September 2020, New York “During April to June some adults UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD in England were getting outside more • COP 15), now expected to take often than usual with 40% of adults place in May 2021. reporting that they had spent more time outside since the coronavirus Staff at Natural England have restrictions began and 31% were continued to work in the face of the exercising more in outdoor spaces. pandemic and under the long running Over these three months, 58% of the impacts of cuts to services. If there is to adult population had visited a natural be the oft-vaunted Green Recovery for space in the last 14 days. In total, us all, Natural England needs to be at 85% of adults reported that being in the core of that endeavour.

1 http://bit.ly/people-nature-gov

Contents

What is Natural England and why does it matter? 3

Natural England’s funding 7

Impacts of the budget cuts on Natural England’s capacity: The SSSI story 10

The consequences of austerity and pay 12

Staff well-being 13

Natural England’s ambition and ability to fulfil its purpose 14

What is Natural England and why does it matter?

Natural England was created as a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) under an Act of Parliament – the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 on 1 October 2006, and we are formally accountable to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), who is accountable to Parliament for our activities and performance.2 This amalgamated the Countryside Agency, English Nature and the Rural Development Service – themselves long-standing bodies with some being able to trace their heritage back to 1949 with the then Nature Conservancy. Natural England is responsible for © Natural England/Peter Wakely protecting and improving England’s natural environment, including its landscape, flora and fauna, freshwater It is a repository of skills, expertise, and marine environments, geology and enthusiasm and commitment to the soils. And for people’s enjoyment of it all. natural world. These are the sorts of “The creation of To achieve this, Natural England has time-tested qualities that used to be a myriad of statutory duties and other valued in the civil and public service Natural England essential work including partnership- that need to be maintained and is a landmark based projects. It: cherished. • advises government on The sheer scope and scale of the moment for environmental legislation and policy work delivered by Natural England’s staff is not well understood or • is a statutory consultee on the natural appreciated, yet it has a real and environmental matters for planning, lasting influence on the ground. A few environment. No development and marine licensing examples are outlined below. • helps farmers and landowners other organisation enhance the natural environment on • Protected sites – designation of in Europe matches their land our best ecological and geological • issues and enforces wildlife licenses sites, both terrestrial and marine the breadth of our for protected species (Sites of Special Scientific Interest • designates our most precious and National Nature Reserves legislative remit, environmental sites – the crème de la crème of the best natural features in England); and the scale of • commissions and undertakes European sites and Marine environmental scientific research, our challenge” Conservation Zones. European evidence gathering and drives sites form a network of the best partnership projects Sir Martin Doughty, 2006 sites across Europe and in England • has a responsibility to help people they always overlap SSSIs. enjoy, understand and access the Natural England advises on the natural environment. management of SSSIs, assesses their But there is so much more to Natural condition, consents activities and England than what gets recognised. undertakes enforcement.

2 http://bit.ly/NE-annual-report-2020 4 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

There are 4,123 SSSIs in England, 2020 in preparation for a national covering more than one million pilot in 2021. hectares of special habitat, wildlife • Planning development and policy and geology (approximately 8% of – statutory consultee on impacts of England’s total land area). development and planning policy on Some of Natural England’s protected sites and landscapes. A most recent designations significant part of Natural England’s include Johnsons’ meadows in work in this area is promoting Leicestershire and Crime Rigg integration of green infrastructure quarry in Durham, the latter site and biodiversity net gain as part representing an outstanding of development schemes. It is example of a 290-million-year-old also pioneering landscape-scale Permian dune system. solutions across local authority • Countryside stewardship/ boundaries to address the impacts Environmental Land Management of development and population Scheme – helping farmers and growth on vulnerable internationally landowners design plans to enhance important sites. biodiversity on their land and During 2019-20, Natural England secure funding now we have left offered our advice on over 14,000 the European Union. This helps to planning consultations and achieve a balanced agricultural responded to over17,000 licence economy which is sustainable and applications. benefits wildlife. Most SSSIs are In addition, Natural England managed through stewardship. have pioneered a new ‘nutrient Many of England’s well known neutral’ approach to addressing and much loved estates are in water quality impacts from new stewardship, such as Chatsworth development in the Solent, where House and most estates of the nature-based solutions are being National Trust and Crown Estate. implemented to secure over 1200ha Approximately 23% of English land is currently under stewardship (three of wetland, woodland and meadow million hectares). habitat across a highly urbanised catchment whilst enabling Natural England also uses sustainable development. NE is now stewardship to target specific looking to roll out this approach conservation efforts such as saving nationally. the turtle dove, a charming bird which used to be a familiar sight • Protected landscape – designates in the English countryside but is Areas of Outstanding Natural now close to extinction – one of the Beauty and National Parks; provides causes of its decline being lack of expert advice on landscape impacts seed and grain as food during the from development when consulted. breeding season. • Marine environment – designation Natural England is now busily of marine protected areas, setting devising the new Environmental their conservation objectives and Land Management (ELM) scheme providing conservation advice. which will be the cornerstone of Statutory consultee on licensing England’s new agricultural policy, and consent for marine activities, rewarding farmers, foresters and including fisheries. Provides advice other land managers with public to government on marine policy with money for public goods. Natural a recent focus on exiting the EU. England has already written 130 Supported the confirmation of 41

• Catchment sensitive farming – • Advice to government and working jointly with the Environment scientific research– specialist During 2019-20, Agency and Defra to reduce diffuse advice to government, stakeholders water pollution from agriculture, by and the public on environmental Natural England giving free training and advice on evidence and policy, especially at offered our cleaner water and healthier soils to the moment on emerging legislation farmers in England. for agriculture, fisheries and the advice on over • Wildlife licensing and environment. 14,000 planning enforcement – assesses and issues • Natural England furthers licences for activities which may scientific research– commissioning consultations and disturb or kill European protected and undertaking studies on wide- species including bats, great ranging aspects of the natural responded to over crested newt, dormice, smooth environment and conservation.3 snake, sand lizard and Natterjack Natural England was also heavily 17,000 licence toad; and national protected involved in the design of the applications species including common reptiles, government’s 25 Year Environment badgers, water vole and Schedule 1 Plan.4 birds such as the barn owl. Enforces Natural England undertook a licence breaches. review on the impacts of burning • England Coast Path – we have on deep blanket bog which has led continued the establishment of the to changes in the management of England Coast Path, now standing our protected uplands and over 200 at 402 miles of new National Trail. historical authorisations to burn on

3 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-englands-publications-maps-and-data 4 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan 6 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

the peat have been given up or amended. Also, our Natural Capital Account (Natural England Research Report (NERR) 078) for National Nature Reserves won the John Hoy prize for the best piece of economic analysis in government.5 • Collaborations in conservation – key driver of numerous partnerships and project work, for instance Back from the Brink species conservation programme: Natural England working in partnership, saving 20 species from extinction through 19 projects which has also benefitted Natural England over 200 other threatened species including the adder. Species encompasses Recovery work includes enabling the reintroduction of the white-tailed all types of our eagle onto the Isle of Wight project environment – to get going.6

While Natural England is often seen from urban to as just doing business with Defra, it is peri-urban and a non-departmental public body. Its remit, and the customers and partners open countryside with which it works, are wide-ranging and cross-cutting at many levels. through to the Natural England engages across government departments and coast and sea agencies, industry sectors and the voluntary sector. It encompasses all types of our environment – from urban to peri-urban and open countryside through to the coast and sea. This is the beauty of Natural England – it provides overarching custodianship, expertise and forethought for all aspects of the natural environment and provides the links and authority to make a difference in the real world. This forms the crux of Natural England’s Conservation 21 strategy, its place in delivering the 25 Year Environment Plan and especially the emerging Environment Bill, and is the reason why Natural England is more

5 http://bit.ly/NE-annual-report-2020 6 https://naturebftb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Back-from-the-Brink-Impact-Report-Feb-2020.pdf The state of Natural England 2020-21 • 7

Natural England’s funding

It has been well-documented that Natural England’s government-funded Grant in Aid budget has declined by 49% in six years and almost two-thirds over a decade. In 2019/20 the effects of that decrease have been particularly keenly felt. We are now running with some serious risk to our core, statutory functions, which will have consequences for our customers as well as for wildlife.”

Tony Juniper, Chair Natural England 7

The cuts to staff numbers in Natural Programme expenditure at Natural England, 2006/07 to 2019/20 England outlined in the first State of £50,000,000

Natural England report 2019-20 are £45,000,000 not the only impact of the decade of £40,000,000 austerity. There have been significant £35,000,000 reductions in many of the important £30,000,000 spend areas which have limited our capacity to advance the science and £25,000,000 monitoring so important for the natural £20,000,000 world’s management. £15,000,000

This is well demonstrated by the £10,000,000 decline in the overall programme £5,000,000 expenditure figures from the very end of English Nature, to the current time of 0

Natural England, an eye-watering drop 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 of 78% from c.£45m to £10m. Source: Natural England annual accounts (excludes legal expenditures) There will, of course, have been comparable budget streams from £40,000,000 Grant expenditure at Natural England, 2006/07 to 2019/20 the other two founding bodies (The Countryside Agency and the Rural £35,000,000

Development Service), perhaps £30,000,000 suggesting that the declines have been more significant in the merging £25,000,000 reductions of what have been three much £20,000,000 larger finance streams into one. The £15,000,000 declines from austerity from 2010-11 are clear and the trajectory is downwards. £10,000,000 Grant expenditure has followed a £5,000,000 similar path, but perhaps more steeply in the later years. The grants were 0 historically diverse and ranged from 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 support for microscope purchase for Source: Natural England annual accounts

7 http://bit.ly/NE-annual-report-2020 8 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

one of the biological recording schemes peatlands into our atmosphere. But in 2012 to the Wildlife Enhancement there is clearly so much more we could Scheme, a modular grant allowing do with proper investment. bespoke management tailored to SSSI; It’s a similar picture for the core again showing a massive drop of 86% science and development programme from c.£36m to just under £5m. spend, which sets Natural England This is not to say that grant support somewhat apart (although core DEFRA programmes have been abandoned. has a comparable budget). This has The 2020 Peat Capital Grant scheme fallen by a huge 73%, making it difficult proposes to deliver peat restoration in to fund much of the necessary work both lowland and upland settings over and often resulting in reductions in the next five years. It will be funded ambition in both scope and analysis. by the Nature for Climate Fund and is The two forces of staff reductions and

© Getty Images direct action to reduce carbon loss from programme cuts mean that it becomes increasingly hard to operate, such that the arrival of more spend might be hard R&D spending at Natural England, 2008/09 to 2019/20 to cope with without the attendant £9,000,000 staff resource to manage the contracts. £8,000,000 Natural England’s science and £7,000,000 research portfolio is expansive. It

£6,000,000 ranges from “A Natural Capital

£5,000,000 Strategy for North Devon” to the “Review of the status of the beetles £4,000,000 of Great Britain Longhorn Beetles £3,000,000 (Cerambycidae)”, to “Developing a £2,000,000 robust technique to detect populations £1,000,000 of endangered native white-clawed

0 crayfishAustropotamobius pallipes, invasive signal crayfishPacifastacus 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 leniusculus and crayfish plague Source: Natural England annual accounts Aphanomyces astaci in lotic systems using innovative eDNA approaches” to Defra Grant-in-aid, real terms “Listening to young people’s views of £700,000 the coast: Living Coast Youth Voice”. The decline in capacity through £600,000 budget reduction formed part of the £500,000 main critique made by the submission from Wildlife and Countryside Link £400,000 in September 2017 to the House of Lords Select Committee inquiry on £300,000 the Natural Environment and Rural

£200,000 Communities Act 2006, when they wrote: £100,000

However, based on recent 0 0 assessments, Natural England 2009/1 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 has struggled to fulfil its mandate. We suggest this is predominantly because Cefas Veterinary Medicines Natural England Directorate “of continued budget cuts and erosion of Royal Botanic Gardens Marine Management Forestry Commission its independence from the Westminster Organisation (Central Services) Environment Agency Government. Due to these cuts Natural (Environment Protection) England does not have the resources or sufficient numbers of suitably skilled The state of Natural England 2020-21 • 9

Real terms change to departmental grant/funding, 2010/11 to 2018/19

40% 29.4% 30% 26.4%

20%

10% 0.2% 0

-10% -10.0% -20%

-30% -31.1% -40% -50% -46.1% -60% -53.7% -60.8% -70% Cefas Veterinary Natural Royal Marine Forestry Environment Environment Medicines England Botanic Management Commission Agency Agency Directorate Gardens Organisation (Central (Environmental Services) Protection)

and experienced staff to perform its Other impacts landed on fulfilling its functions fully and effectively.”8 statutory and regulatory functions in “Natural England planning and marine advice, wildlife This is all, of course, driven by core licensing, and being able to manage its has struggled Departmental decisions on what is National Nature Reserves. to fulfil its valued and what is not. For 2020/21, NE received an ‘uplift’ The Grant in Aid sums already of £15m additional funding on top of its mandate... showed large differences between, annual core funding. This funding was say, Environment Agency and Natural used to address existing work resource because of England, but the real term impacts pressures, and NE has used this to continued were far harsher in Natural England. recruit for over 200 new roles, including This is made clear in the above graph. roles to help deliver the Environment budget cuts and NE took a more disproportionate Bill legislation currently going through hit in the Defra group because most of Parliament. However, the extra sum is erosion of its its work was not considered ‘protected’ the colloquial drop in the ocean. The independence (compared to, for example, EA’s flood NE leadership know themselves that defence work), rather suggesting a “this funding will not address all the from the Cinderella status in Departmental eyes. pressures and that there is still more to These cuts had a massive impact on do to make our case in future years, to Westminster NE’s ability to, for instance, undertake realise further opportunities for NE to Government” condition assessments on SSSIs and play its full part in nature recovery and its ability to enforce legal action. connect more people to this ambition.”

8 https://www.wcl.org.uk/docs/NERC%20call%20for%20evidence-%20WCL.pdf 10 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

Impacts of the budget cuts on Natural England’s capacity: The SSSI story

It is difficult to accurately portray the historic declines of staff working on GLOUCESTERSHIRE the core SSSI agenda. Although there c.10 were full time dedicated staff, it was SEVERN ESTUARY also often part of someone’s role, the c.2 dynamics of project work in the past may not have carried forward, and the SOMERSET BRISTOL/ models of delivery change. However, OLD AVON c.15 it is less the exact magnitude of the DEVON 6.2 decline in numbers than the overall CORNWALL c.22 trend of decline of dedicated support c.15 that is the key point. SSSIs still require oversight, relationship building with DARTMOOR owners and partners, and the strategic 9 understanding of county conservation issues are still sought. Whether the 2020 staffing uplift will improve this Advisor/Lead Advisor position remains to be gauged. FTE 2011 SSSI work is covered in a different way now to that of the past, leading to Source: Prospect members and reps within Natural England the establishment of central casework ‘Hubs’ in local Area Teams. How these Hubs work, what they deal with and GLOUCESTERSHIRE how they interact with staff working c.0.6 on specific designated sites will vary. SEVERN ESTUARY There will be inconsistencies across the c.1 country. Typically, Area Team casework Hubs have been staffed by junior SOMERSET BRISTOL/ grades (adviser and support adviser), c.3.5 OLD AVON 2.6 new to the organisation. Whilst these DEVON individuals are often very able, they CORNWALL c.4 are routinely being asked to do work c.1.5 which would previously have been done by more senior and experienced staff. DARTMOOR We have to acknowledge that the ‘hub’ 0.5 does have value and having staff deal with ‘low-risk’ enquiries is particularly useful, but the organisation is having Advisor/Lead Advisor to react to lower staffing levels and FTE 2020 losing experienced staff to other organisations which offer better pay. Source: Prospect members and reps within Natural England A centralised system like this promotes a knowledge of the process but not of the sites themselves. As I say, geographical ‘patches’ have “been actively discouraged. Over time this will lead to the gradual loss of local knowledge and degrade relationships with local stakeholders.”

There is a fast turnover of staff and a lot of the time the people in the team are very new to the organisation being supported “by an experienced lead adviser and sometimes an S grade (not always available).” – Prospect member

Of concern to Prospect members is the loss of relationships:

This is not just about decline in numbers, but in the complete loss of that owner relationship – often built up over decades – and the “intimate site knowledge which now is mostly a rapidly fading memory at best.” – Prospect member There is a feeling we are consequently increasingly absent as a body in the farming and landowning community. © Natural England/Philip Ray More widely, the sort of experienced staffing levels currently found in they’ve shared in this year’s RTPI Natural England may well present “Excellence in Planning for the Natural a challenge when matching the Environment” award. This is an example aspirations and ambitions of the of having a clear vision, backed up Nature Recovery Network and the with good evidence (eventually), and 25-Year Environment Plan. Much the accepting that ‘you’ve got to be in it for same can be said over the need to the long haul’.” – Prospect member9 “This is not just monitor both the terrestrial and marine But there remain limits to deployment sites to an adequate level, even given of the reduced staff numbers without about decline the advantages of monitoring reform de-prioritising what has come down to and the switch away from strict SSSI in numbers, but priority work, much of the development unit assessment. Some, as now, will be opportunity work having had to be in the complete covered to an appropriate level, though forsaken to keep things running. many will remain unvisited and hence That said, the uplift of £15 million loss of that owner unpoliced. in 2020-21, was specifically targeted Given the importance of local at planning responses, licensing and relationship – partnerships in much of the above, consenting capacity, National Nature Natural England’s role may be reduced, often built up over Reserves, Health & Safety, and SSSI though it has helped forge many (Site of Special Scientific Interest) decades – and excellent initiatives, or seed-funded condition. This has allowed an increase them. in the staff compliment of some 210 the intimate site The Area Team has had the full time equivalents over the spring knowledge” staying power and influence and summer of 2020. This is welcome to secure a single ‘strategic mitigation although it has clearly proved difficult plan’ through wet grassland creation for new starters with both lockdown and “as part of the planning process for the Covid19 office closures both enforcing South Humber Gateway development home working and a lack of direct zone. For this major achievement engagement with their new teams.10

9 https://www.rtpi.org.uk/media/5126/rtpi_a4_ape_20_winners_brochure.pdf 10 https://mxm.mxmfb.com/rsps/m/goHg-f8cnHtSyLPyUMtwxg 12 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

The consequences of austerity and pay

The problems with the pay system the Countryside Agency seems stark – are structural with unbalanced initial on average they often have the exact conditions thwarted by a decade of same time in grade but much lower pay. austerity. It is clear from the founding This legacy remains today. body pay scales that there were This discrepancy might have been large discrepancies between grades, flattened out and diminished in a and that where you ended up in a decent pay environment, but under Natural England pay scale was in austerity and the 1% pay cap inequality part of reflection of the legacy of your was burnt into the pay framework. This employment. historic bias will also have had some Staff who came from the Rural bearing on the highly concerning Equal Development Service were far more Pay landscape likely to be at or above the target rate The mean gender pay gap across in their grade than other staff; this the whole of Natural England is 8.4%. is even though their average length When we compare women and men’s of service in their grade is often not pay across individual grades, men significantly different from staff who earn more on average at each grade. came from other founding bodies. For example, in the two most starkly

© Getty Images Comparison with staff who came from differentiated pay bands the figures are: • Manager, Principle Adviser, and Principle Specialist pay band – men Proportion of staff at or above Target Rate in each grade by founding body* earn 8.9% on average more than

100% women. • Support Adviser pay band - men earn

80% on average 6.3% more than women. 75% 66% 65% 62%

61% The 2020-21 pay settlement purports 56%

51% to reduce the disparity at the Manager 49%

42% level, although the extent of that

34% reduction has not been declared. This is 29% 28%

24% recognised as a major issue for Natural 7% 20% 6% 6% 2% England but the sort of pay settlements that are provided come nowhere near A E H S G to resolving these problems.

*Historic data compiled during foundation of NE CA EN RDS NE

“Pay remains a Mean GPG at NE by pay grade and work pattern major concern, 13.5% with only 9.5% 8.9%

8.7% of people 8.5% 8.0%

6.3% 6.3% believing their 5.1% 5.0% 2.1% 4.8% 4.0% 3.9%

0.8% pay adequately 0.4% reflected their

Manager Team Lead Lead Advisor Advisor Support Advisor Principal Advisor Senior Advisor Group Coordinator performance” Principal Specialist Senior Specialist Specialist NE Annual Report Mean gap (PT only) Mean gap (all staff) Mean gap (FT only) & Accounts, 2019-20 The state of Natural England 2020-21 • 13

Staff well-being

There is a risk that changes in work priorities, ongoing budget reductions and other background factors (e.g. a greater awareness of “pay differentials across the Defra group) will lead to a continuing decline in staff well-being and morale.” 11

I am a lead advisor in sustainable development for Natural England. I fulfil one of the organisation’s main statutory duties “by providing consultation responses to © Prospect/Simon Crosby planning applications and local plan and polices. Since I started over three the climate and ecological emergency increased, but this hasn’t been reflected and a half years ago, workloads and we face. by increases in my salary. I know that resourcing pressures have increased However, since lockdown and it’s really important to address the dramatically with serious knock on the pandemic, there is better situation with people at the bottom effects on my ability to keep up with understanding on the importance of of the pay scale, but in negotiations simple admin requirements and nature for our health and wellbeing please don’t forget about those of us continue my professional development. and therefore increased priority to its stuck and going backwards at the top In this period I have barely left the protection. This must include valuing of the pay scale.” minimum of my pay grade, and the dedicated and committed people following the 2020 pay award, I have that work so hard (sometimes to their Pretty soon there won’t be been drawn closer to it. Reaching the own detriment) to protect it and reward anyone left in Local Teams to mid-point of my grade, let alone the them appropriately to retain skilled be reassigned- Advisers aren’t getting target point, seems many light years and experienced staff. We cannot, and any younger either and we should at away and I wonder if I will ever reach it. should not, put up with consistently “least be placed on NE’s Red List of I feel strongly that my pay doesn’t fairly being at the bottom of the pile because endangered species?” reward me for the challenging role in order to attract and retain the best I perform at Natural England.” talent the rewards package needs to be Following this year’s pay attractive otherwise we will consistently “award”, this is how it has I’m a Marine Lead Adviser and have our brightest and best going affected me: have been in NE for over 8 years. elsewhere leading to a demoralised and • Adviser grade for 10 years since I took a £8k pay cut to take the job in deflated workforce in NE.” “2010, after leaving the EA in March NE from a local authority and I am still 2008 on £22,373 after 7 ¼ years’ “£3k below what I was earning in 2012, I’m an experienced Senior service. despite using more of my qualifications Adviser (who has just this month • 2019 pay award: Grade min of and experience in this role, having completed 30 years’ service with the £21,522 was 92% of my £23,379 pay. more of an impact and it being more organisation) and as such I’m at the top Mid-point was £23,649, target rate demanding. Amongst my peers in the of my pay-scale. I’ve looked at the pay “ was £25 776. private and public sector, despite being award calculator and discovered that • 2020 pay award: Grade min of more qualified than many of them I am I’ll be receiving just over £300 i.e. 1% £22,168 is 94.74% of my new pay still way under their pay levels which as a non-consolidated bonus, with no of £23 999. Mid-point (I have just consistently contributes to a feeling increase in my annual salary. Over the passed) is now £23,972, target rate of being overworked, underpaid and past 10 years I’ve only had one increase £25,776. undervalued despite knowing the in my annual salary with the rest paid work I do is very important. This also as non-consolidated bonuses and this So, I have slipped even further contributes to the feeling of our work is although I receive high box markings. towards the grade min, so feel like being undervalued and not given the Over these 10 years my outgoings in real terms I am going backwards right level of importance considering and financial responsibilities have through my grade.”

11 http://bit.ly/NE-annual-report-2020 14 • The state of Natural England 2020-21

Natural England’s ambition and ability to fulfil its purpose

In early October 2020, Natural England published the Building Partnerships for Nature’s Recovery document, a real sense call to arms and “an invitation for you to engage with us in the conversations and partnerships which are essential for focused, effective deeds.” For the four Strategic programmes it states our contribution to the ambition of the 25-year environment plan and to “help to level up the social inequality underlined by coronavirus by using Public awareness green space and nature to build back greener.” of the plight of Its spectrum is broad, and ranges biodiversity and from our three-year programme of intervention through schools to fragility of our improve children’s life chances in some of the most deprived areas of England landscapes has to partnering with the National Academy for Social Prescribing, to finally come to the creation of a “blue belt of marine the fore, and protected areas” around our coastline and improving improvements in our Natural England air and water quality by working with water companies, the Environment is eager and Agency and Defra to establish unified monitoring standards. brimming with Public awareness of the plight ideas to make of biodiversity and fragility of our landscapes has finally come to the England a fore, and Natural England is eager and brimming with ideas to get on and better place make England a better place. But it is clear from the trajectory of both funding, pay and staff numbers that to meet the ambitions and challenges set out in this report, and to not let the Green Recovery fall flat, Government must step up and make good the damage done. Urgent, radical investment is needed in Natural England, as the government’s key expert, advisor, regulator, facilitator and deliverer for England’s natural 12 © Getty Images/Dmitry Naumov environment.

The future

There is clearly much current ambition positioning and unwelcome equal pay in addressing environmental concerns, iniquities all require more support, more be that England’s contribution to passion, and more funding if those tackling climate change, biodiversity ambitions are ever to come to anything. declines, the Green Recovery post- Natural England is constructing a pandemic, the protection of 30% of pay case, and has done an Equal Pay the UK’s land by 2030, as well as novel Audit and, as noted, Natural England initiatives such as Biodiversity Net Gain has received a £15 million uplift. But and the 25 Year Environment Plan. the issues are so deep none of this Natural England, with its breadth of will really solve the core problems expertise spread across wide swathes unless concerted action and pay-scale of government is well placed to assist re-design is brought to bear, coupled and take forward significant parts of with funding proportionate to the real this agenda. threats the country faces. But the disproportionate cuts, If not now in the opportunity for out-dated and unfit pay framework, a Green Recovery, then when? challenges over legacy body pay-scale Protect England’s nature. Protect Natural England.

New Prospect House, 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NN t 0300 600 1878 e [email protected] © Prospect, 2020 PRO-20-0019/Nov20/PDF